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Slowing Down: Dehydration in Desert Drivers

Isobel Morley

Desert endurance racing risks dehydration but little is known about effects dehydration has in extreme racing conditions. We aimed to study the correlation between dehydration, assessed by urine concentration, and reaction times in desert endurance drivers. We collected urine samples, observations and medical history from drivers and immediately tested reaction times using an application. Graph Pad was used to assess for correlation, and its significance. We found a statistically significant correlation between urine colour and reaction time (p < 0.0001) and urine colour with heart rate (P=0.0042). There was no correlation between blood pressure and reaction time or urine colour. Solo riders had more concentrated urine and longer reaction times than drivers and co-drivers. This is the first study to use urine colour as a proxy of hydration status in desert endurance drivers.